Car-fender



No.. 6|9,738. Patented Feb. 2|, |899. A. H. ETHERIDGE.

GAR FENDER.

(Application tiled July 1 1, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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Patented Feb.v 2|, |899.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

A. H. lamamnm-z.l

' CAB FENDER.

(Application fxled July 11, 1898.)

TH: Ndnms Pz'rzns C0, Moro-urna., WASHINGTON, n. ci

No, sumas.

(N0 Model.)

Wigesszs UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS H. ETI-IERIDGE, OF VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA.

yCAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 619,738, dated February 21, 1899.

Application filed July 11,1898.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS H. ETHER- IDGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Virginia Beach, in the county of Princess Anne and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Car-Fender, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in car-fenders.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of car-fenders and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive one adapted to be readily mounted on a car and arranged close to a track, so as to catch a person positively and absolutely prevent him from getting beneath it.

A further object of the invention is to cushion the fender effectively, so that a person falling into it cannot be in any Wise injured, and to enable the fender to be compactly folded against the front of the car when it is desiredv to couple the car to another, and thereby enable cars to be coupled without removing the fender.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed ont in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective vlew of a car-fender, constructed in accordance with this invention and shown applied to a car. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the fender-frame, the cushions being removed. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken transversely of one-half of the fender, and illustrating the manner of folding the parts. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the frame of the fender, the pivotally-mounted sections being partly in section to show the arrangement of the pivots.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates alfender comprising a rectangular bottom frame 2, hinged sides 3, and a back 4, which is hingedly connected at its lower edge with the rear edge of the bottom frame at 5 to permit the fender to spring upward, as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 3

Serial No. 685,637. (No model.)

of the accompanying drawings. The back 4 of the fender is provided at its lower edge l with a rearward extension or frame 6,- constructed of any suitable material, such as light metal, and having a curved edge 7 to conform to the configuration of the curved front portion of a car 8. The horizontal rearward extension or frame 6 is secured to the front of the car by means of substantially triangular brackets or braces 9, having vertical portions, which are bolted or otherwise secured to the car, and provided with horizon-v tal bottom portions which are secured to the rearward extension or frame 6 at the ends thereof. The inclined portion 10 extends from the lower edge of the back 4 to the top of the bracket or brace and supports the same. The sides 3 are connected at their lower edges with the side edges of the bottom frame I,

2 by hinges 11, and they are secured in an upright position by catches l2 of anydesired construction. The rear ends of the sides 3 are connected by straps 13 with the back 4, and when it is desired to fold the fender, for a purpose hereinafter described, the straps 13 are unfastened and the catches 12 are released.

The front of the fender is supported by wheels 14, preferably arranged in pairs at each side of the fender and mounted on a truck 15,which is connected by a central pivot 16 with the front portion of the bottom frame. By arranging the wheels on a truck they are not only permitted to yield readily to the configuration of a track, but are prevented from being thrown upward to the same extent as single wheels.

In order to enable the fender to be arranged close to the road-bed and at the same time clear the draw-head 17 of the car, the bottom frame of the fender is provided with pivoted sections 19, extending longitudinally of the bottom frame, at the center thereof, and pr ovided with arched portions 20, which are arranged over the draw-head, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings. The pivots 21 and 22 of the front and rear ends of the sections 19 are located adjacent to the outer edges of the sections, and when it is desired to fold the fender to a vertical position the sections 19 are swung outward and backward on their pivots to arrange the IOO arched or curved portions 2O out of the way and enable the bottom to be brought close to the back. By this construction the draw-bar is housed to prevent a person from coming in contact with it, and the fender is brought suticiently close to the ground to prevent any liability of a person getting beneath it.

The fender is provided with bottom cushions 23, side cushions 24:, and a back cushion 25, preferably consisting of inflated rubber sections. The sections or cushions 23 of the bottom extend longitudinally thereof and are adapted to be readily folded on themselves to permit the pivoted sections 19 to swing back ward. Any suitable means may be provided for attachingthe cushions tothe fender-f rame.

The invention has the following advantages: The car-fender, which is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, is arranged close to the ground, and it is impossible to get beneath it accidentally, and it is thoroughly cushioned, so that a person falling into it will not receive the slightest injury. The sides are adapted to fold down upon the bottom of the fender, and the pivoted sections 19, at the center thereof, are arched over the draw-bar and draw-head and are adapted to be swung backward to arrange `the fender compactly preparatory to folding it upward against the front of the car. It is unnecessary to remove the fender when it is desired to couple the car to another.

The fender is provided at its front with a transverse bar 26, of rubber, which is tapering in cross-section and whichforms a front cushioning to avoid injuring a person when y the fender comes in contact with him an throws him down.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to `without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, such as providing any suitable operating mechanism for swinging the fender upward and locking mechanism for holding it in such elevated position.

What I claim isl. A car-fender comprising a horizontal bottom frame, a vertical back hinged to and extending upwardly from the bottom frame and provided at its lower edge with a rearwardly disposed horizontal extension de signed to be secured to a car, and the hinged sides adapted to fold upon the bottom frame, substantially as described.

2. A car-fender comprising a vertical back designed to be secured to a car, a continuous horizontal bottom hinged at its inner end to the back and adapted to swing upward to a vertical position for folding, the vertical sides hinged at their lower edges to the sides of the bottom and arranged to fold.` inward upon the' upper face of the latter, and means for securing the sides in a vertical position', substantially as described.

3. A car-fender, comprising a bottom, a back hinged to the bottom and designed to be secured to a car, folding sides hinged to the bottom, a truck supporting the front of the fender, and cushions arranged at the bottom, sides and back of the fender, substantially as described.

4. A fender provided at its bottom with pivotally-mounted longitudinal sections having arched portions arranged to extend over the draw-bar and draw-head to prevent a person from coming in contact with the same, said pivoted sections being adapted to be swung backward, substantially as described.

5. A car-fender, comprising a back, a bottom frame hinged to the back and provided with pivotally-lnounted longitudinal sections having arched portions, and folding sides mounted on the bottom frame, substantially as described.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own l have hereto aixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

A. H. ETHERIDGE.

Vitnesses JOHN I-I. Sreonns, FRANCES PnY'roN SMITH. 

